The present invention relates to micro devices. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for transferring a micro device from a carrier substrate.
Integration and packaging issues are one of the main obstacles for the commercialization of micro devices such as radio frequency (RF) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microswitches, light-emitting diode (LED) display systems, and MEMS or quartz-based oscillators.
Traditional technologies for transferring of devices include transfer by wafer bonding from a transfer wafer to a receiving wafer. One such implementation is “direct printing” involving one bonding step of an array of devices from a transfer wafer to a receiving wafer, followed by removal of the transfer wafer. Another such implementation is “transfer printing” involving two bonding/de-bonding steps. In transfer printing a transfer wafer may pick up an array of devices from a donor wafer, and then bond the array of devices to a receiving wafer, followed by removal of the transfer wafer.
Some printing process variations have been developed where a device can be selectively bonded and de-bonded during the transfer process. In both traditional and variations of the direct printing and transfer printing technologies, the transfer wafer is de-bonded from a device after bonding the device to the receiving wafer. In addition, the entire transfer wafer with the array of devices is involved in the transfer process.